A Favor and New Friends
by Mar 'Darry' Darren
Summary: It was time for a week off the Pokémon Academy and Ash was looking forward to fun. Instead, a chance encounter will grant both him and his Pikachu will a favor. One that might be their most difficult task ever; find two certain Pokémon and help his team become the best in Alola today, the world tomorrow. Can Ash do it? Find out!


**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon!**

"Ash!" – Normal Speech

'Ash!' – Thoughts

 _Ash!_ – Flashbacks!

 **Ash!** – Pokédex and Pokémon Moves

A Favor and New Friends

School's Out For the Week!

The region of Alola, tropical with the warm climate consent every year. The businesses are flowers, lanterns, fruit, fire shows and tourists. "YAHOOO!" Then came this scream that practically shook the island like an earthquake. "SPRRING BREAAK! PIKACHU LETS GOO!"

Shop owners, travelers, children playing with their parents, all of them saw the trail of smoke heading towards them from the horizon. Soon, they saw that this was being created by a kid who was too hype for his own good. Like he drank one or ten energy drinks too many. His name is Ash Ketchum, native from Pallet Town or Kanto.

He was a boy between ten and twelve. He was wearing a blue shirt with gray pants, hints of red in the pockets and at the helms. He was carrying a backpack that was mostly blue with black straps, along with matching sneakers. On his shoulder was Ash's very first Pokémon; his pride and joy; his best friend from Kanto. His Pikachu.

Pikachu is a short, chubby rodent Pokémon. It is covered in yellow fur with two horizontal brown stripes on its back. It has a small mouth, long, pointed ears with black tips, brown eyes, and two red circles on its cheeks. There are pouches inside its cheeks where it stores electricity. It has short forearms with five fingers on each paw, and its feet each have three toes. At the base of its lightning bolt-shaped tail is patch of brown fur at the base. A female will have a V-shaped notch at the end of its tail, which looks like the top of a heart. It is classified as a quadruped, but it has been known to stand and walk on its hind legs.

Research has shown that Pikachu sometimes travel in groups. It raises its tail to check its surroundings, and is occasionally struck by lightning in this position. Living in forested areas, Pikachu is found foraging for berries it roasts with electricity to make them tender enough to eat. It has been observed eating and sometimes destroying telephone poles, wires, and other electronic equipment.

Pikachu is able to release electric discharges of varying intensity. Pikachu has been known to build up energy in its glands, and will need to discharge to avoid complications. It is also able to release energy through its tail, which acts as a grounding rod, as well as recharging fellow Pikachu with electric shocks. Pikachu can also electrify itself to use its signature move **Volt Tackle**. When threatened, it releases electric charges from its sacs, and a group can build and cause lightning storms. It is found mostly in forests, where a sure sign that Pikachu inhabits a location is patches of burnt grass.

In his pack, relaxing and roosting away with the zip halfway open, was his Rowlet.

Rowlet is a small, avian Pokémon resembling a young owl with a round body and short legs. Its plumage is primarily brown with a white underside and facial disc. The facial disc itself is in the shape of two overlapping circles. It has large black eyes and stubby beak. The top part of its beak is white, while the lower half is an orange-brown. Its feet have two forward-facing toes and one backward facing toe; they are the same color as the lower half of its beak. Two leaves sprout form its chest, arranged so that they resemble a bowtie. Additional leaves line the undersides of its wings and form its tail. A nocturnal Pokémon, it stores energy during the day through photosynthesis. It approaches opponents by silently gliding, before unleashing a volley of kicks. This Pokémon is able to rotate its head almost 180 degrees, and has excellent night vision.

Then there was Ash's latest, his Rockruff. Running aside himself, somehow catching up with the boy's unbelievable vigor.

Rockruff is a quadruped, canine Pokémon. It is primarily light brown with a darker brown muzzle, paws, and ear tips. It has large blue eyes, button ears, a short muzzle with a triangular pink nose, and a short tuft of fur on each cheek. Around its neck is a ruff of grayish-white fur stubbed with dark brown pebbles. The dark brown markings on its paws extend to a thin point on each wrist and ankle. It has a grayish-white tail that curls tightly over its back and is covered in fluffy fur.

Rockruff has an excellent sense of smell. It will never forget an odor after smelling it once. There are tales of it reuniting with its Trainer after becoming lost by following the faintest traces of scent. This Pokémon is very sociable and will greet others by rubbing them with the rocks around its neck. As it ages, Rockruff becomes wilder. Once it is close to evolving, it will begin to howl when the sun goes down. It has been said to leave its Trainer's side and return once it has evolved. A persistent Pokémon, it will keep going until it outlasts foes that are even more powerful.

"Come on guys, let's get to the Professor's place and call Mom! Maybe she can give us some ideas for our-OMPH!" Ash spoke to his Pokémon running around the town randomly, until his trek was halted. Ash apparently felt something hit his toe and caused him to trip hard. "Hey!" But the raven-haired boy was a lot tougher than he looks and only got dirt on his chin, "What's the big…idea?" Ash was going to find what tripped him and show how much he 'appreciated' it.

But the only thig that Ash found in that alleyway was a man covered in a dirty and tattered cloak, sitting down against the wall and groaned while holding one of his legs. "Ouch. That hurt you brat." The figure grumbled a lot like a cranky grandfather, "Now why are you screaming like a banshee and running around town like a runaway train? You can actually get someone hurt."

"Sorry sir!" Ash responded. "Is your leg terribly hurt?" The boy reached out and the man moaned loudly when Ash touched the stretched-out leg.

"It's not broken but bruised and twisted, those look-a-likes at the Pokémon Center just make a big deal out of everything." The man said, rubbing his leg tenderly. "But this is just not my day. I've saved a lot of money for these and now they are just going to waste until my leg get realigned, and I don't have that time before the boats leaves!" The man complained and Ash flinched, feeling awful. He was about to leave the man to his pained leg until, "Hey Kid."

Ash turned around nervously, "Y-yeah?" Any boy will be this way when a stranger asks for their attention.

"You did say that you wanted something to do in your 'Spring Break'. And you are a Pokémon Trainer, right?" Ash nodded at both statements and then the Stranger reached into his pockets, grabbed Ash's own hand and placed something inside. "Then it's your lucky day and you better hurry before your boats leaves. I promise you these are real and can lead to real fun."

"Thank you, sir, but I need to get going to the Professor." Ash didn't much care for what the stranger asked of him and tried to politely leave until,

"I also have a favor to ask of you kid." The stranger said, "At one of the islands, there is a mountain with a place that looks at stars. Try to catch the hardest Pokémon to capture there. On the other island, there is another difficult Pokémon to catch; one that is hard to find too." Ash was interested but kept his distance. "If you manage to catch them then you will someday become a Pokémon Master."

"Sir?" Ash was shocked that last statement. "How did you…?" Before he could ask, the sound of a boat horn was heard.

"That's the sound of your ride, Kid. You only have ten minutes left! You better hurry or the boat will leave without you!" The stranger proclaimed and Ash got anxious. "Go now and don't forget that favor kid! And have fun!" Ash took that as a farewell, waved goodbye and rushed off faster than before.

What Ash and company didn't notice was that the stranger smiled until his cloak, got up without a hitch and walked away. Yet he vanished once he was about to exit that alleyway. Truly a strange character, indeed.

XXXXXX

Sometime later,

"Where were you Ash? We thought we went deaf when you suddenly stopped yelling." This was Mallow, a fellow student and aspired trainer of Grass types. She is always the most outspoken member of the class, very friendly and very popular because of that and her expert cooking skills.

Right now, they were at the docks where Ash was taking a break to catch his breath. This was also where they found Ash after wondering why he 'vanished' after speeding out of the Academy, screaming about the Spring Break.

"Sorry, sorry. I was just more excited than ever. I've been planning a ton of fun things to do for this Spring Break!" Ash looked like he tried to hide something with a nervous smile and a face covered in sweat. His friends were getting suspicious.

Then another girl spoke up, "Don't forget that our Professor asked that we spend some of that free time restudying our notes on Pokémon." Her name was Lillie and she carrying her first Pokémon; an Alolan Vulpix. Unlike the one that Ash had seen, those with red fur to match their single Fire typing, this one was as white as snow; fitting their Ice typing.

From living in the Alola region for enough time, Vulpix has adapted to snowy mountain peaks. Its fur has become snowy white. It has pale blue paws, blue eyes, and dark blue insides its ears. Its snout is more pronounced and pointed than that of non-Alolan Vulpix. The locks of hair on its head and its six tails are curlier with a wispy appearance. Alolan Vulpix is believed to have arrived in the region at the same time as humans, but moved to the snow-capped mountain to avoid other Pokémon. It can be found in small pack with two to five individuals. Alolan Vulpix can expel breath as cold as -58°F (-50°C), which is capable of freezing anything. While it is not suited to warmer environments, its tail can produce ice to lower the surrounding temperature if needed.

"Right Lillie. I do have plans for that too! That's why I very excited." Ash said once again and only sounded more suspicious. "S-see this!?" Ash suddenly sent his hand into his pocket in a haste, shifting around in a panic and took out a couple of paper that was crumbled up. "Oops!" Ash noticed their state and straightened them out. "Look! Tickets to Ula'ula Island and Poni Island!"

This made the crowd gasp, "Ula'ula Island and Poni Island!? We are not allowed there until graduation! Never mind that, tickets to both islands from here will cost a fortune! Where did you get those!?" Always the sternest student in the Academy, Kiawe spoke without any space for nonsense. Especially not with his own signature Pokémon behind him, towering over everyone else; Turtonator.

Turtonator is a bipedal, turtle-like Pokémon with a spiny shell. Its skin is a greenish-gray and only visible on its limbs, tail, head, and neck. On top of its head is an additional shell with many points around the brim. This extra shell has a black center, yellow in the middle, and a red outer rim. Its eyes have black markings around the bottom, and it has a tubular, yellow snout with a single, large nostril. Turtonator has a wide mouth, where the lower lip is marked with a jagged yellow line extending from its nose. On each side of Turtonator's long neck are two short, triangular projections. Its front legs have mitten-like hands, while its hind feet have claw-like red growths around them. Most of its tail is also covered by red plating, which has fin-like projections. The shell that encases its body has a red underside with a star-shaped, yellow-rimmed hole in the center. The back of the shell has a yellow center with several, brownish-black spikes. Four large spines with red bases form a star-shape in the center with four smaller spikes around them.

This Pokémon resides on volcanoes, where it camouflages itself among the rocks and waits for prey. In addition to hunting, Turtonator also feed on sulfur and other volcanic materials. This diet rich in explosive material has contributed to a layer of explosive material in its shell. When prey steps onto its shell, it strikes itself with its own tail to cause an explosion. The explosion is ignited by sparks from the spikes on its shell, and released through the hole on its chest. This orifice also acts as Turtonator's weak point.

"My mom made a new friend here in Alola after allowing me to attend the Academy. She had plans to visit those islands until she had to cancel them but didn't want to waste these tickets. I just picked them up." Ash explained the best he can. "Sorry but I need to get going before my first boat leaves!"

"Before you go…" Ash flinched, thinking that he was going to get caught, but it was simply Sophocles. "My older brother lives on one of the mountains, say hello to him for me please?" And the short, plump boy asked politely with his close Pokémon in tow, Togedemaru.

Togedemaru is a spherical, rodent-like Pokémon. Most of its front is white, while its back is primarily gray. It has black eyes, a short-pointed snout with a black nose, and a circular, yellow marking on each cheek. Scattered across its back are yellow and brown triangular markings, which this Pokémon is able to extend straight up when attacking. There is a tail-like needle on the back of its head. The needle is gray with a yellow tip and is shaped like a lightning bolt. Additionally, it has stubby arms and legs.

Togedemaru uses the needle on top of its head to attract and gather electricity. Groups can be seen gathered with their needles standing upright, waiting to be struck by lightning on stormy days. Some Trainers use its ability to absorb electricity as strategy in battle. The opponent is coaxed into unleashing an Electric-type attack, and then has that power turned against it. Togedemaru can also curl into a ball to make its fur stand up in a ball of prickles. It is the only Pokémon to learn the move **Zing Zap**.

Ash hid his relief well enough to fool everyone and he nodded. "I will! Sorry about leaving, I will bring back souvenirs!" Ash ran off with Pikachu into the crowds around the ship that was about to leave. Too bad that his class had no idea why their new classmate was in such a hurry to get to his boat. It was because Ash barely had any time to spare on this training trip, least of all for souvenirs.

XXXXXX

A week had passed since Ash had boarded the ship so it is now the weekend before the Academy starts up for the rest of the semester. Ash's classmates could only hope that the raven-haired trainer with the Pikachu could make it back to the school in time.

"Hello Class and welcome back from Spring Break. Hope you all had fun and stayed safe." The teacher came in, Professor Kukui himself. He was a tall and lean man with tanned skin, showing his naivety to Alola. He was wearing a white lab coat, gray pants held up with a green belt and matching shoes. The helm of his glasses was also green while his hat was mostly white with a rainbow painted in front. "And it will seem that one of us is down to only a minute to make it on time." Kukui added, gazing at his watch.

"Professor?" Kukui looked up to who addressed him. "Ash did at least call you, right?" It was another one of the students, one of the rising specialists named Lana. She was also friends with Ash, even after her adorable twin younger sisters embarrassed her in her own home.

Lana was the tomboy-type of girl, easily mistaken for the opposite sex. Her hair was as blue as the sky yet shun like the sunlight on the sea surface; it was kept together with a large hairpin shaped like a fishing net, with a pair of bags out in front. Lana wore a sailor shirt with its blue flap hanging out back. Below were large blue trousers with the symbol of waves at the hems; it was kept together with a simple string that had a small medallion hanging. Finally, she had matching dark blue sandals.

Then there was Lana's partner and aspiring star, her Popplio. Popplio is a pinniped Pokémon that is primarily blue. It has large eyes, a long, white snout with black whiskers, and round, pink nose. There is a small, rounded earflap on each side of its head. Around its neck is a light blue ruff, which extends past its shoulders. It has four flippers. The front flippers are larger than the hind, and have white markings separating its toes. Popplio is able to snort bubbles of water from its nose, which it uses as part of its battle strategy, and it can swim at 25 mph (40 km/h). On land, it uses the elasticity of its bubbles to perform acrobatic stunts and jumps.

"Thank you for the concern Lana." Kukui responded with a smile. "But yes, Ash did make a call this morning. He said that he will attempt to arrive back in class once the bell rings…" Kukui was cut off when a loud bang burst through the room and practically shook the school building. Everyone turned their attention to the doorway and a figure that apparently caused that bang when he suddenly halted in his pace, fast enough to create an imitation of a strong wind current.

"Hey guys. Looks like we were able to make it in time." The class was genuinely surprised by the grand entrance of the stranger, only for a certain red cap to fall and reveal familiar black hair. The Pikachu on the shoulder was also familiar, with the exception of a scar going down its back in a slashed-style.

"…Ash?" Mallow was the one to speak up and the figure responded with a familiar smile.

"That's me, the trainer that will become a Pokémon Master." Ash then laughed at everyone's faces of shock. "And we all had one hell of a Spring Break to tell you all."

End of Chapter 1

 ***Hey guys! I wanted to make this new story because my third anniversary as a writer is this month! Last year, I was able to make half a hundred by my last anniversary, looks like I didn't make another quarter for this year. I will still work hard and hopefully, there won't be any more hellish school weeks of waiting for a three-exam day like last week! Who would've thought that I am making a story about a boy and his Pikachu on Spring Break while I am on** _ **mine**_ **? Tune in and let me know!**

 **For the basis of this story, it is a little parody of Ash the Iron Trainer and the sequels afterwards. In this independent spin-off, I will be combining the core games with more of the anime this time. This is going to start after the latest episode, shortly after Ash caught Rockruff that used to live with Professor Kukui. I will have chapters with details from Sun and Moon but most of it will be Ash's new friends throughout the Pokémon Academy. Try to guess which ones Ash is going to try and catch for his team :)!**

 **A little hint, both of these Pokémon have a typing in common once they fully evolve. The same as the four that Ash hatched from Eggs in the original AIT story. There will also be a surprise Pokémon, so keep guessing :). Let me know what you think and thank you! ***


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